Belfast 'most expensive meal out in UK'

Despite being deemed the priciest place for a meal in a restaurant, Belfast ranked among the top 10 UK cities which are the best value for a short break.The results were taken from this year's TripIndex UK Cities, which compares the cost of an evening out in each of the UK's 20 most popular cities, taking into account typical costs for two people to enjoy a pre-meal cocktail at a four-star hotel, a meal out, taxis, and an overnight stay for two in a four-star hotel during the month of August.Looking at the basket items separately, Brighton offers the best value for dinner, with a meal for two costing an average of just £54.09. While at £73.01, Belfast comes out as most expensive for a bite to eat.The result was based on the average cost of a meal for two, including starter, main and bottle of house wine, at five mid-range restaurants.The eateries chosen in Belfast were Home, Square, St George's Bar and Grill, RBG Bar and Grill and The Ivory.Sheffield ranked best value overall in the study, with an average hotel stay of £69.35, a taxi journey costing £7.64 and dinner at £63.73.Belfast came in tenth place, with a hotel costing £105.39 a night, a taxi journey £11.40 and dinner £73.01.On the other end of the scale, Edinburgh ranked as the number one city to splurge in, followed by Cambridge and London.TripAdvisor spokesperson James Kay, commented: "For travellers planning a UK break over the upcoming bank holiday weekend, heading north will generally offer the best value for an evening out and overnight stay, although this is not always the case so be sure to plan ahead to get the best deals."